Love
Sunflowers
A very loving friend of the family helped care for my mom and dad for a very long time. She was also caring for an older gentleman who she and her family brought into their home. He lived with them for many years. Several months ago, he started having more struggles, so our friend needed […]
Sharing a New Road
Today I met a friend for lunch. Her husband had Parkinson’s disease and passed away not quite a year ago. For several years, we walked the caregiving road together. While our experiences were different, we understood the struggles of caring for a loved one to the end. Now, I guess we’re traveling the grief journey […]
Sunshine Stream
As I was out today, I stopped at the park to take a quick walk. I wasn’t sure how far I would get as the skies looked threatening. But, I managed to make it all the way around which was about a mile. I got back in the car and started it. The radio was […]
The Engagement
My son met an amazing young woman 2 1/2 years ago. From the beginning she has been a blessing in our lives. Once she became a licensed massage therapist, she came over every week to give my mom a soothing hand massage. Even when my mom wasn’t up to it, she would just come over […]
Remembering Their Beautiful Song
We received a beautiful card today that spoke perfectly to my mother’s life. It said: God gives every person their own unique song. It’s one that will play their entire life long. Through the love that they give and the gifts that they share, through the memories they make and the dreams that they dare. […]
Family Time
My nephew arrived from out of town last night. He stayed with my son last night so they were able to have some time together before my son leaves for the weekend. My other son and his family returned yesterday from their time away on the East Coast. Tonight we all had dinner together. It […]
The Rocking Chair
This morning as I sat with my mom, I was rocking in the rocking chair. It suddenly occurred to me that it was the same chair that my mom rocked me and my siblings in when we were babies and beyond. My mom was in this chair at the beginning of our lives and I […]
Heartfelt Hug
This afternoon one of our wonderful caregivers was here. She was sitting with my mom at the table doing a puzzle. Typically my mom seems to take a nosedive in the afternoon. Perhaps “sundowning”. She gets more agitated and emotional for no apparent reason. As they were working on the puzzle and chatting, my mom […]
Incredibly Grateful
As I have been sharing my mom’s birthday celebration with others and reflecting on the past few days, I find myself incredibly grateful. First and foremost, I am grateful that my mom was here this year to celebrate. When she entered into Hospice Care several months ago, I honestly didn’t think she would be. I […]
Birthday Celebration 5
Today my mom’s friend came over for a happy birthday visit. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks. Our friend took a fall a while back and fractured her hip. She had surgery and got right into home therapy. Thankfully it was not a bad break. She is a tough woman, so I wasn’t too […]
Still Finding God 